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Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated this past weekend that the Russian-prepared peace plan constituted "not my final offer", after strong reaction from Ukrainian leaders and commentators who likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief remarks at the White House, Trump told reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Include Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has given Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to give up land under its control to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address on Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision over the coming days between keeping its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Team Appointed for Geneva Meetings

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or "dignified" peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by top aide Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, said there would be consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, he added: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This is another stage of the dialogue that has been ongoing in recent days and is primarily aimed at aligning our vision for the next steps."

International Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up the nation's independence or abandon the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan came from a similar category, where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, he said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered "barely anything" in the proposed deal and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Varied Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready ceding certain regions temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Officials Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."